Adjustable latch keeper



y 9, 1955 E. A. WIKSTROM 2,713,506

ADJUSTABLE LATCH KEEPER Filed Aug. 30, 1951 /|2 P"; I Tlza /H HM /,/Z6 7 f l2 30 F1 1 Ff j I, A as I r14 '0 F6 13 F INVENTOR F ERIQAWIQKSTRQ m ATTORNEY itc rates This invention relates to an adjustable latch keeper and has for an object to provide an improved adjustable latch keeper designed to fit any existing or conventional lock set and to greatly simplify the installation and maintenance of the latch keeper.

The strike plate or keeper has always been the most troublesome part of the lock set to install and maintain in order to have the door in perfect working condition. Many costly hours have been spent in old as well as in newly erected homes to readjust doors where the strike plate location is not correct, caused by shrinking of the Woodwork or by heavy coats of paint or varnish, leaving the door either too tight to the door stop or too loose and causing rattling. The old method to correct such trouble is to have a carpenter refit the plate, usually making a messy job in trying to hide the old insert and old screw holes in the jamb. With the new improved adjustable latch keeper of this invention, the strike plate can be adjusted in a moments time by anyone who is capable of handling a screw driver, without disturbing the position of the original mortise in the door jamb or screw holes in the door jamb. With this invention, it is only necessary to simply unloosen the two holding screws slightly, to close the door, and to move the sliding strike plate so that it barely touches the latch bolt, then reopen the door and tighten the screws securely, whereupon it will be found that the keeper has been properly adjusted just the right amount to hold the door firmly closed without rattling.

A further object of this invention is to provide an adjustable Striking plate that greatly simplifies the installation of a lock set, in eliminating the necessity for retaining the teeny strip of stock that remains between the conventional keeper and the edge of the door jamb, particularly in connection with doors that are comparatively thin.

A further object of this invention is to provide an adjustable latch vkeeper which is particularly useful when redecorating in that it may be temporarily adjusted so that even when the door is closed it leaves an opening between the door and the door stop, so that the door can be kept closed while paint is drying, and then after the paint is dried, it may be easily readjusted to its desired permanent position for keeping the door closed and eliminating any opening.

A further object of this invention is to provide an adjustable latch keeper which may be used for either or both a yieldable latch bolt or a key operated lock bolt, and the term latch as hereinused refers to and includes both a spring operated yieldable bolt or a key operated lock bolt.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, this invention comprises the combination, construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth, claimed and disclosed in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the ad ustable latch keeper of this invention installed in operative position in a door jamb.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the strike plate holder.

Fig. 3 is an edge view of the strikeplate holder, looking toward the left of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the slidable strike plate.

Fig. 5 is a bottom edge viewof Fig. 4 and,

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on hne 6-6 of Fig. 1.

There is shown at 10 the adjustable latch keeper of this invention which consists of two parts the strike plate holder 11 shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and the slidable strike atcnt channel 21.

Z,?l3,5% Patented July 19, 1955 plate 12 shown in Figs. 4 and 5, in addition to two ordinary Wood screws 13 for securing the'latch keeper 10 in position in a door jarnb 14 to hold the door against the door stop 15.

The strike plate holder11 consists of a U-shaped plate whose bight 16 extends vertically when in installed position on the door jamb 14 and whose legs 17 extend horizontally. The outer edges of the legs 17 are folded rearwardly as at 13 and then inwardly toward each other as at 29 thus providing inwardly facing U-shaped channels 21. Approximately centrally of the front side 17 of each channel 21 there is provided aninwardly punched coneshaped boss 22 which is centrally apertured as at 23 for the shank of the screw 13 to pass therethrough into the door jamb 14. Axially aligned with the boss aperture 23 is a second screw shank receiving aperture 24 in the rear side 20 of the U channel 21.

The strike plate 12 is a generally rectangular shaped member of a thickness no greater than the thickness of the channel 21, but greater in thickness than any space that may be left between the inner end of the cone-shaped boss 22 and the adjacent surface of the rear leg '20 of Adjacent one vertical edge 25, the strike plate -12 is provided with a rectangular shaped latch receiving mortise 26, the mortise 26 being substantially longer and wider than the usual latch bolt. Located between the upper edge of the mortise 26 and upper edge of strike :plate 12 and likewise between the lower edge of mortise 26-and the lower edge of the strike plate 12 is an elongated slot 27, the height of each slot 27 being at least equal to the maximum diameter of the coneshaped 'boss 22. The thickness of the strike plate 12 is no greater than the'depth of the 'U channels 21, and as a result, the strike plate 12 can have its upper and lower edges inserted into the U channels 21, the rear walls 28 of the channel 21 yielding slightly to permit the strike plate 12 to be inserted therein past the cone-shaped bosses 22 until the bosses 22 can enter into the horizontal slots 27, whereupon the rear walls 20 of U channels 21 either spring back or are forced back to the position parallel to the plane of the body of the strike plate holder 1-1.

into the mortise 26 in the conventional manner.

As a result of the construction thus described, the cone-shaped bosses 22 extending into the horizontal slots 27 hold the adjustable latch keeper 10 in assembled position, thus making it easy to install the adjustable latch keeper 10 as a unit in the door jamb Ztl. When installing this adjustable latch keeper 10, the procedure is as follows. Mark the center line of the door edge of the jamb 14, thus giving the side positions of'the strike plate holder 11 of the latch keeper ltl. Next, mark the center of the latch bolt on the jamb 14, thus giving the height position. Place the latch keeper 10 over the center lines and outline the keeper on the jamb and then mortise out the insert all the way to the edge of the jamb 14. Eliminating the old type of insert, the work can be done in less than half the time, leaving a clean, neat job. The latch keeper 10 never has to be moved. Adjustment of the strike plate can now be made whenever necessary by merely loosening the screws 13 a slight amount, sliding the strike plate 12 outwardly a sufiicient amount, closing the door so that the latch bolt extends into the mortise, then sliding the strike plate inwardly until it just touches against the latch bolt with the door held firmly in closed position, then retracting the latch bolt and opening theldoor and fastening the screws 13 firmly again.

While the device has been shown and the structure described in detail, it is obvious that this invention is not to be considered as being limited to the exact form disclosed, and that changes in detail and construction may be made therein within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of this invention.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

1. An adjustable latch keeper for a door jamb comprising a strike plate holder and a slidable strike plate, said strike plate holder consisting of a U-shaped member having its bight arranged to extend vertically in operative position in the door jamb, the outer edges of the upper and lower legs of said U-shaped member being folded rearwardly and then inwardly toward each other forming parallel U-shaped channels for slidably receiving and holding said strike plate therewithin, said strike plate having a thickness substantially no greater than the depth of said U-shaped channels of said holder, said strike plate being a substantially rectangular plate rnernher having a substantially rectangular latch keeping mortise extending therethrough adjacent one vertical edge and a pair of horizontally extending slots, one above and one below said latch mortise, between said latch mortise and its upper and lower edges, the front side of each U-channel of said holder having a centrally apertured inwardly punched cone-shaped boss, the rear side of each U channel having an aperture axially aligned with the cone-shaped boss aperture of said front side,

whereby said slidable strike plate may have its horizontally slotted portions slidably held in said U channels of said holder by said inwardly punched cone-shaped bosses extending into said horizontal slots for maintaining said keeper as a unitary article while being installed in the door jamb by having a securing screw pass through the upper and lower legs of said U-shaped member being folded rearwardly and then inwardly toward each other forming parallel ll shaped channels for slidably receiving and holding said strike plate therewithin, said strike plate having a thickness substantially no greater than the depth of said U-shaped channels of said holder, said strike plate being a substantially rectangular plate memher having a curvilinear strike lip formed along one vertical edge thereof, a substantially rectangular latch keeping mortise extending therethrough adjacent its other vertical edge, and a pair of horizontally extending slots, one above and one below said latch mortise, between said latch mortise and its upper and lower edges, the front side of each U-channel of said holder having a centrally apertured inwardly punched cone-shaped boss, the rear from opposite parallel margins of said plate to define confronting U-shaped channels behind said U-shaped plate, each flange having an aperture, said U-shaped plate having a pair of apertures each registering with one of said first apertures, said strike plate including parallel marginal portions snugly slidable in and guided by said channels, said marginal portions having parallel elongated apertures each registering with a pair of apertures in said holder, the central portion of said strike plate having a latch-receiving opening therein said channels retaining said strike plate assembled therewith.

4. An adjustable latch keeper comprising a strike plate holder and a strike plate, said strike plate holder including a substantially flat U-shaped plate and flange portions folded rearwardly and then inwardly toward each other from opposite parallel margins of said plate to define confronting U-shaped channels behind said U-shaped plate, each flange having an aperture, said U-shaped plate having a pair of apertures each registering with one of said first apertures, said strike plate including parallel marginal portions snugly slidable in and guided by said channels, said marginal portions having parallel elongated apertures each registering with a pair of apertures in said holder, the central portion of said strike plate having a latch-receiving opening therein, and a projection extending into said channel and into an elongated strike plate aperture to limit sliding of said plate in said holder and to maintain said strike plate and holder operatively assembled.

5. An adjustable latch keeper comprising a strike plate holder and a strike plate, said strike plate holder including a pair of guide channels and a connecting web portion, each channel having a pair of spaced apertured flange portions, said web portion being narrow compared to the length of said flanges whereby said plate holder is U-shaped in outline and being flush with the outermost flange portions of said channels, said strike plate having opposite marginal portions fitting snugly and slidably in said channels and each having an elongated aperture registering with said flange apertures, said plate being cut away at a portion exposed between said flanges to provide a latch-receiving opening, a portion of said plate projecting beyond the free ends of said flanges to define a striking edge spaced from said latch-receiving opening said channels being adapted to grip the margins of said plate to lock said plate in selected adjustment.

6. An adjustable latch keeper comprising a strike plate holder and a strike plate, said strike plate holder including a pair of guide channels and a connecting web portion, each channel having a pair of spaced apertured flange portions, said web portion being narrow compared to the length of said flanges whereby said plate holder is U-shaped in outline, said strike plate having opposite marginal portions fitting snugly and slidably in said 3 channels and each having an elongated aperture registerside of each U channel having an aperture axially aligned with the cone-shaped boss aperture of said front side, whereby said slidable strike plate may have its horizontally slotted portions slidably held in said U channels of said holder by said inwardly punched cone-shaped bosses extending into said horizontal slots for maintaining said keeper as a unitary article while being installed in the door jamb by having a securing screw pass through the aperture of said cone-shaped boss of the front side of each said U-shaped holder channel, through the horizontal slot of said strike plate, and through the aligned aperture in the rear side of said U-shaped holder channel.

3. An adjustable latch keeper comprising a strike plate holder and a strike plate, said strike plate holder including a substantially flat U-shaped plate and flange portions folded rearwardly and then inwardly toward each other ing with said flange apertures, said plate being cut away at a portion exposed between said flanges to provide a latch-receiving opening, a portion of said plate projecting beyond the free ends of said flanges to define a striking edge spaced from said latch-receiving opening, and a projection on said strike plate holder extending into an elongated strike plate aperture to limit sliding of said plate in said holder and hold said parts assembled.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 872,053 Christy Nov. 26, 1907 885,320 Christy Apr. 21, 1908 1,143,610 Carr June 22, 1915 1,214,227 Schwenk Ian. 30, 1917 1,445,681 Hage Feb. 20, 1923 1,793,115 Model Feb. 17, 1931 2,127,891 Starling Aug. 23, 1938 

